Golf-Tee

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a golf-tee containing an object placed in a cavity ( 11 ), said object being in particular an input and output medium ( 13 ).

The invention at hand concerns a golf tee in accordance with the characterizing portion of claim 1.

A wide variety of different designs of golf tees are known. They are used regularly when hitting the ball from the tee, i.e. teeing off. To this end the golf tee is shaped somewhat like a nail and has a head in whose face surface is a depression in which the golf ball is placed.

Such golf tees normally consist of wood or a synthetic material. Since such golf tees are frequently hit and destroyed or at least damaged by the golf club when teeing off or is hit so far away that searching for it is not worthwhile, the golf tees or any remains thereof usually remain on the golf course and must be gathered painstakingly and disposed of by golf course personnel. For this reason it is known for instance from DE 196 02 528 A1, that golf tees can be manufactured from a degradable fiber composite material, essentially consisting of cotton, jute, flax or coconut fibers. Another biological golf tee consisting of a biodegradable noodle dough is known from DE 43 14 978 A1.

The purpose of the invention at hand is to produce a golf tee that gains more acceptance by the golfing community than is the case with common golf tees.

This task is solved by a golf tee with the characteristics of claim 1.

The essential advantage of the invention is that the golf tee according to the invention at hand features a cavity containing an information carrier, preferably a slip of paper or the like, that includes a printed message, for example in the form of a funny saying regarding the topic of golf or a horoscope. The slip of paper is released when the golf tee is destroyed during teeing off. The golfer then picks up the remains of the golf tee in order to gain access to the slip of paper that has been released. In this way the message on the slip of paper can be read on the one hand, and on the other hand the remains of the golf tee are picked up by the golfer and can be carried along and properly discarded, thus preventing the tee off area from being littered and relieving the burden placed on golf course personnel.

In a particular preferable embodiment of the present invention, the golf tee consists of a known decomposable material, into which the aforementioned cavity with the information carrier is formed.

According to a preferred embodiment, a slip of paper wound into a small roll which is located in a cavity positioned in the lengthwise direction of the shaft of the golf tee is suitable as an information carrier. Funny sayings, drawings, horoscopes and the like are suitable information for golfers. It is also conceivable that the information carrier could also or exclusively be used as an advertising medium.

The invention and its design are explained in detail below on the basis of the figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a golf tee;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross section of the golf tee in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a golf tee damaged after teeing off, in which the information carrier becomes visible; and

FIG. 4 shows an information carrier in the form of a slip of paper.

According to FIG. 1, an inherently known golf tee 1 consists of a shaft 3, one end of which is pointed 5, making it easier to push the golf tee 1 into the ground. Opposite to the pointed end 5, the golf tee has a head 7 shaped almost like a plate, in whose surface there is a depression 9 in which the golf ball is placed for teeing off.

Usually the golf tee can be made of a synthetic material or of a biodegradable material, for instance natural fibers or the like.

Inside the golf tee 1 is a cavity 11 for receiving an information carrier 13, preferably in the form of a paper strip or slip of paper printed with information. The cavity 11 preferably runs in the lengthways direction of the shaft 3, with the information carrier 13 especially being in the form of a slip of paper wound into a small roll. The roll is placed in the cavity 11 during the production of the golf tee 1.

According to FIG. 3 the golf tee 1 is damaged during teeing off so that the top 7 is separated or broken off from the shaft 3 and the slip of paper contained in the cavity 11 is at least partly exposed, so that it can be removed from the shaft 3 and read.

It is pointed out that instead of the information carrier 13, other objects may be placed in the cavity 11. Instead of the slip of paper described above, the cavity 11 may also contain, for instance, small figures or candies (e.g. small balls of candy) or photographs. It is of importance that the information carrier or object contained in the golf tee 1 arouses the golfer's interest to gain access to the information carrier or object. 

1. Golf tee with a shaft (3) containing a cavity (11) that extends along most of the lengthways direction of the shaft, characterized in that the cavity (11) contains an information carrier (13), access to which is gained when the golf ball is hit and the golf tee (1) is destroyed.
 2. Golf tee according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of synthetic material.
 3. Golf tee according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of wood.
 4. Golf tee according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of a biodegradable material.
 5. Golf tee according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cavity (11) extends through at least part of the length of the shaft (3) and the head (7).
 6. Golf tee according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the information carrier (13) is in the form of a slip of paper printed with information.
 7. Golf tee according to claim 6, characterized in that the slip of paper is printed with a saying, advertising text, a drawing or a horoscope.
 8. Golf tee according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the information carrier (13) is in the form of a slip of paper or paper strip wound into a small roll. 